Taraji P. Henson Speaks on Jussie Smollett’s Jail Sentence: ‘The Punishment Does Not Fit The Crime’
Taraji P. Henson Speaks on Jussie Smollett’s Jail Sentence: ‘The Punishment Does Not Fit The Crime’
Many people are speaking on the jail sentence actor Jussie Smollet recently received last week after being found guilty for lying on police reports in a hate crime hoax in January 2019. The Empire actor was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of felony probation, and ordered to pay restitution of more than $120,000 and a $25,000 fine for lying on police reports in a hate crime hoax in January 2019.
Empire actress Taraji P. Henson, Smollett’s TV mother is the first cast member, at least publicly, to speak on her former coworker and the punishment he did receive. She does not believe that the punishment fits the crime and makes a comparison to the Emmitt Till murder. She took to her Instagram account and sent a message to her 19 million followers as she pleased to #freejussie.
“I am not here to debate you on his innocence but we can agree that the punishment does not fit the crime. Emmett Till was brutally beat and ultimately murdered because of a lie and none of the people involved with his demise spent one day in jail, even after Carolyn Bryant admitted that her claims were false. No one was hurt or killed during Jussie’s ordeal. He has already lost everything, EVERYTHING! To me as an artist not able to create that in itself is punishment enough. He can’t get a job. No one in Hollywood will hire him and again as an artist who loves to create, that is prison. My prayer is that he is freed and put on house arrest and probation because in this case that would seem fair. Please #freejussie 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾”
Smollett’s brother, Jocqui, has stated via Instagram that his brother has been placed in a psych ward at Cook County Jail but denies that he has suicidal ideations.
Jocqui stated that they are concerned because there was a note that was attached to his paperwork and placed on the front of his cell saying that he’s at risk of self-harm says in the shot video clip.
Daily Mail has reported that the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in Chicago has stated that Smollett is not being held in solitary confinement. They put out a statement saying that the use of “solitary confinement was abolished” at the Cook County Jail in 2016. Any claims that he is being held in that manner are not true.
Taraji P. Henson Speaks on Jussie Smollett’s Jail Sentence: ‘The Punishment Does Not Fit The Crime’
